Transit Unplugged

Launching Successful Innovations at SEPTA with Emily Yates

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a previous episode we talked about SEPTA's innovative SCOPE (Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership, and Engagement) program -- https://transitun...

Episode 300!

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to episode 300 of Transit Unplugged! When Paul started the podcast in November 2017, I don't think anyone would have thought that seven season...

Welcome to Transit Unplugged!

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Transit Unplugged, the world's leading podcast for transit professionals, is hosted and produced by Modaxo SVP and transit evangelist Paul Comfort. Ea...

System Redesign and Transit Revival in Madison with Justin Stuehrenberg

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Stuehrenberg GM of Madison Metro and his team used COVID as the impetus to finally put a long-planned system redesign into motion and completed...

Public Transport Insights and Innovations in the Middle East from UITP MENA

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode we have guest host, and past guest, Dr. Kaan Yildizgoz hosting a live CEO roundtable from the Modaxo booth at the UITP MENA Tr...

Public Transit Trumps Politics in Oklahoma City with Mayor David Holt

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Usually on Transit Unplugged we bring you the voices and stories of transit leaders from around the world, but this week we have something a little di...

Tom Gerend and KC Streetcar contribute billions to Kansas City’s economy

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Update July 31, 2024: This podcast episode, the companion podcast episode, and the Transit Unplugged TV episode were honored with a Spotlight Award by...

Can KCATA Make Transit Oriented Development a Reality in Kansas City?

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Update July 31, 2024: This podcast episode, the companion podcast episode, and the Transit Unplugged TV episode were honored with a Spotlight Award by...

Special Episode: Are we thinking about cars the wrong way? from The Future of Mobility Podcast

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to another special edition of Transit Unplugged featuring an episode from another transit podcast. This time we welcome past guest Brandon Bar...

Can Hydrogen Hubs Push Hydrogen to the Forefront of Transportation Fuels?

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hydrogen is one of the hottest topics in transit right now, but hydrogen is facing a huge challenge to reduce its cost and increase its availability a...

Placemaking in Tulsa: Secret Tunnels, Art Deco Buildings, and a Downtown Reborn Powered by Transit with Chase Phillips

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of our series featuring Tulsa, OK, host Paul Comfort gets a special tour of Downtown Tulsa with Chase Phillips, the Director of Planning f...

Scott Marr and MetroLink Tulsa get their kicks on Route 66 with BRT and microtransit

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of two podcast episodes--and an upcoming Transit Unplugged TV episode--from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Paul chats with MetroLink Tulsa (https://www...

Special Episode: Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardener with Art Guzzetti from The Transit Authority

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode of Transit Unplugged shared with us from our friends at the Transit Authority by APTA. Recorded live at APTA EXPO 2023 in Or...

Holly Arnold her path to the top job and managing the largest P3 in the U.S.

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Holly Arnold has spent her entire career at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). Starting as a contractor in grants administration then leading ...

What’s the secret sauce to increasing ridership 27% in one year?

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of big city transit agencies you think about Boston, New York, Toronto, LA, San Francisco...maybe not Mississauga, Ontario. It might su...

Hidden Transit Heroes Revealed: How Rural Transit Serves Unseen Communities

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When we think about public transit we often think about subways or buses travelling through bustling cities, we don't often think of small towns in th...

If we can’t get new buses, how can we move more people?

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is more than a little bit of irony that when we have unprecedented levels of funding to buy and replace buses, there is a manufacturing crunch s...

Just Don’t Make Expensive Mistakes and Other Lessons from Adam Barth, CEO of the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes we're so afraid of making mistakes, that we don't push ourselves to take a chance on a new innovative idea. We've all been there, but in thi...

How SEPTA is Making a Difference in the Lives of Vulnerable People

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Host Paul Comfort interviews Ken Divers, Director of Outreach Programs at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and Flora Ca...

Creating the first modern streetcar network and the storied career of Congressman Earl Blumenauer

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over his five-decade long career in politics Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been a staunch support of transit and livable cities. Paul sat down with ...

Special Episode: Jeff Wood and Dr. Karel Martens on planning our cities for accessibility

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a special holiday gift for you with a special bonus episode to close out the year. We worked with Jeff Wood from Talking Headways and The Over...

Taylor Swift and the rebirth of transit in 2023

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our final regular episode of Transit Unplugged for 2023 we have Paul Skoutelas, President & CEO of APTA, and Petra Mollet, VP of Strategic Inte...

Can Public-Private Partnerships Complete Transit Projects Faster?

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the penultimate episode of Transit Unplugged for 2023! This week we wrap our series recorded at the CUTA conference in Edmonton with an int...

Is the great hydrogen pivot coming to transit in 2024?

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Will battery electric buses work in the northern-most large city in North America? This week on Transit Unplugged, we continue our series from the CUT...

What if public transit agencies drove housing policy?

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the first of three episodes recorded during the CUTA (Canadian Urban Transit Association) Annual Fall Conference. In this first epis...

Meeting The Transit Needs and Keeping Cool in America’s Fastest Growing County

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re staying in Phoenix and picking up where we left off last week. Paul talks with current Valley Metro (https://www.valleymetro.org/) C...

That Time When Defeating a Ballot Measure Was Good for Transit with Scott Smith

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Usually when people vote on ballot measures about transit, the transit agency and supporters want the measure to pass.Not in Phoenix in 2019.That ball...

Will Low Emission Zones Discourage Driving in the UK with Adam Hill

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort interviews Adam Hill, Editor in Chief of ITS International Magazine. They discuss the challeng...

Why would a transit CEO pick up 500 tons of trash as his first priority on the job?

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we give you Part 2 of our special CEO roundtable recorded live at APTA TRANSform Conference and EXPO. The conversation picks up with host a...

Randy Clarke Has Boosted WMATA, But a Budget Crisis Looms Large Over His Success

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our 6th anniversary and the start of season 7 of Transit Unplugged. Host Paul Comfort has a special opening reflecting on the past 270+ epi...

The surprising things about being a public transit CEO in 2023

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like being the CEO of a transit agency? Paul Comfort asked a panel of five CEOs who've been on the job for about a year what it's been like,...

Carl Sedoryk Putting His Community, Riders, and the Planet First

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul Chats with Carl Sedoryk, CEO of Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) https://mst.org/ , about his jazz-themed BRT line, applying their new vi...

AI in Transit Panel with Eve Machol and Renee Autumn Ray

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public transit with Eve Machol, Director of Aviation and Transportation Strategy at Microsoft, a...

In Conversation with Laura Hendricks: How Transdev Brings Expertise to Agencies Across North America

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul talks with Laura Hendricks, CEO of Transdev US https://transdevna.com/ , about her career starting as a driver at FedEx, Trandev's glob...

Diana Kotler moves her community in the happiest place on Earth in Anaheim

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week join Paul in conversation with Diana Kotler, CEO of the Anaheim Transit Network https://rideart.org/. Recorded live at APTA Tech earlier thi...

Mike Noland on the Path Forward and Improving Service on Commuter Rail

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Mike Noland, President and GM of the South Shore Line https://mysouthshoreline.com/, joins Paul to talk about commuter rail in the Midwest. ...

Mark Joseph Looks Back at Going From Taxis to Transdev and What’s Next for Transit

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul continues his look back at his time working at Yellow Transportation with the former CEO of Yellow, Veolia, and Transdev, Mark Joseph (...

Yellow Transportation Reunion: Stories from the Transportation Trenches

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Transdev is the largest public transportation contractor in the world, and it got its start in North America with the acquisition of Yellow Transporta...

Bus Rapid Transit and Brazil’s Contribution to Global Transit with Tula Vandaramatos

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Paul talked with Seleta Reynolds of LA Metro, one of the places she planned to visit ahead of the Olympics in LA was Brazil. She wanted to see fi...

Dimas Barrreira–Going all electric isn’t the only path to reducing emissions

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the show Paul chats with repeat guest Dimas Barreira about Brazil's unique way of organizing public transportation, innovations in his ow...

Coree Cuff Lonergan on Creating 200 Miles of New Transit Service in Broward County

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're staying in sunny Florida and moving down to Broward County to hear what Broward County Transit (BCT) CEO Coree Cuff Lonergan has in st...

Transit Payment Innovations in Central Florida and Driving Customer Loyalty in Transit

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul has two great interviews for you: John Slot, Chief Innovation Officer of LYNX in Central Florida, and Rudy Vidal, Managing Director of ...

Innovation, Accessibility, and Attracting New Riders–UITP CEO Roundtable Part 2

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we bring you our final segment from the UTIP Global Summit held earlier this summer in Barcelona. In this dynamic CEO Roundtable recorded li...

Creating new funding models, the challenge of the EV transition, and stop negative self-talk

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a jam-packed episode for you this week. We lead off with David S. Kim, formerly the Secretary of Transportation for the State of California, n...

UITP CEO Roundtable Part 1: European Transit Leaders on Today’s Transit Trends

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we bring you the first of two special CEO Roundtables recorded live at the UITP Global Summit in Barcelona. This first panel features:Thierr...

A Global Perspective on Transit from Dr. Kaan Yildizgöz and Tips to Speak with Confidence

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every week we bring you the top transit thought leaders from around the world, and this week is no exception. Recorded while at the UITP Global Summit...

Cybersecurity, Safety Data, and Smart Cities — Canadian Transit Tech Innovation Part 2

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap up our special look at Canadian transit tech innovation with three great innovators in the transit tech landscape. We lead off with Paul in co...

Focus on Canadian Transport Tech Innovation Part 1 EVs and New Transit Models

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we kick off the first of two episodes focused on Canadian transportation tech and innovation. In this episode, Margaret Cullen, Trade Commis...

Sneak Peek - Canadian Technology Focus on AI in Transit

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to this sneak peek at part one of our two-part series on Canadian Tech Innovations in Transit. This segment features Paul Comfort with Niklas K...

Renée Amilcar is charting the course for the future of transport around the world

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After spending the bulk of her 20 year career in public transport in Montreal at STM, Renée Amilcar has been at the helm of OC Transpo in Ottawa for ...

New, Innovative Microtransit Models and How to Make Sure You Always Bring Your Passions to Work

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have two very complementary episodes this week on Transit Unplugged. We start off with Alex Esposito, Co-founder and CEO of Circuit, who took a pas...

Connecting With Employees is the Secret to Managing a Successful Transit Agency

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we continue our series focusing on LA Metro with Paul talking with LA Metro COO Conan Cheung. Conan was originally a transit planner and thi...

How LA Metro is Already Getting Ready for the 2028 Summer Olympics with Seleta Reynolds

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Plus how to match your strengths to your job with Josh CohenWelcome to the first of two special episodes featuring leaders from the second largest tra...

Creating tourist-friendly transportation in Banff, AB

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're continuing our tour of Western Canada with Martin Bean, CEO of Roam Transit in Banff, AB. Roam Transit, like many transit agencies in ...

Focusing on Better Customer Experience and Micro Innovation in Transit

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we have two intersecting interviews covering customer experience and innovation in transit. We start off with Paul talking with Aaron Weins...

Announcing Paul’s Newest Book Plus Meeting the Needs of a Growing City in Everett, WA

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Hingson knows transit inside and out. Learn how the City of Everett, WA tackling battery-electric range issues with inductive charging. And announ...

Going Green with Hydrogen and Two Books to Level Up Your Leadership

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our discussion on the transition to zero emissions with Doran Barnes, CEO of Foothill Transit, and Karl Gnadt, Managing Director of t...

Ric Ilgenfritz Leads Community Transit with Ambitious BRT Plans and It’s our 250th Episode!

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the 250th episode of Transit Unplugged! What a tremendous milestone and we're only just getting started! We have big plans for th...

CEO Roundtable Recorded Live at ThinkTransit: Behind the Scenes with Transit Leaders

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live at ThinkTransit in Nashville, this CEO Roundtable brings together four of North America's brightest transit leaders for an in-depth disc...

Promoting Inclusive Public Transport in Singapore with Andy Thompson of Go-Ahead Singapore

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Singapore is one of the most densely packed cities in the world. Designed to be a "car-light" city, most people rely on public transport to get around...

Craig Cipriano On Planning for Zero Emissions and Developing Your Career

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul is in conversation with Craig Cipriano and talking about how he put together the plan for New York MTA to transition to zero emissions....

Creating a dynamic on-demand transit system in Oklahoma with Kendra McGeady, Pelivan Transit

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We often highlight large transit systems on Transit Unplugged, but there are hundreds of smaller transit systems that are just as--maybe even more so-...

What the financial crisis means for your agency with David Leininger and is hydrogen our best zero emissions option with Kirt Conrad

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have an info-packed show for you this week. We lead off with Paul in conversation with David Leininger of Leininger Analytics, talking about the cu...

Noah Berger MVRTA

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Noah Berger of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA or MEVA) has done two amazing things at his agency: he's increased ridership 122...

Jon Nouchi and Keith “Flip” Griffin

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the companion interview to the Transit Unplugged TV episode from Hawaii, with Jon Nouchi, Deputy Director of the Honolulu Depar...

Stephen M. R. Covey

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are excited to bring you this special episode of Transit Unplugged with world-renowned speaker and leadership expert Stephen M. R. Covey. In t...

Christian Kent and Shawn Moon

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we bring you two fantastic and thoughtful interviews on Transit Unplugged News and Views. First, transit consultant Christian Kent of Transi...

Ts Mazli Mustaffa — Sarawak Metro

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we give you the first of three podcast episodes from Paul's recent Pacific tour that took him from Hawaii to Malaysia to Singapore. We kick ...

Stacey Matlen and Eulois Cleckley

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the hardest things about transit is getting new technology into production. Something that sounds great, but is just a little on the cutting ed...

Kate Mattice — Northern Virginia Transportation Commission

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul chats with Kate Mattice, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transit Commission, about managing and advising transit agencies a...

Rikesh Shah and Larnzell Harper

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Great leaders foster great innovation. Rikesh Shah is driving innovation at Transport for London (TfL), and Larnzell Harper helps level up transit lea...

Catherine Rinaldi — Metro-North and Long Island Rail Roads

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join Paul in conversation with Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad and Interim President of Long Island Rail Road in New York. As Cat...

Matthew Daus and Dale Walls

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we kick off something new on Transit Unplugged. Every other week, in addition to our newsmaker interview, Paul will talk with a leadership e...

Jim Derwinski — CEO Metra Commuter Rail Chicago

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paul kicks off 2023 talking with Jim Derwinski CEO of Metra Commuter Rail in Chicago. The changing face and role of commuter rail in connecting suburb...

End of the year wrap up for 2022

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Join Paul for a very special Transit Unplugged episode. This look back at 2022 and ahead to 2023 features four amazing transportation leaders:Mohamed ...

Dave McKenna — Rocky Mountaineer

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we bring you something a little different. Usually, when we talk about rail we're talking about commuters or inter-city rail, but in this ep...

Mike Bagshaw – MTR UK

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're winding down the year with another trip across the pond to London. Paul talks with Mike Bagshaw, COO MTR UK, about running the Elizabeth Line (a...

Mass Transit 40 Under 40 Part 2: Carlos Cruz-Casas, Roman Steichen, and Sophia Maletz Franklyn

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap up our Mass Transit Magazine 40 Under 40 series with interviews with three more amazing transit leaders:Carlos Cruz-Casas, Chief Innovat...

Mass Transit 40 Under 40 Part 1: Kayleigh Cleek and Sapna Shah

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have the first of two special Mass Transit 40 Under 40 shows. This week Paul Comfort and Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor in Chief of Mass Tr...

Dave Reage — Halifax Transit

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we head out east to Halifax, Nova Scotia and hear from Dave Reage, Executive Director of Halifax Transit about his uniquely Canadian transit...

Jarrett Walker — Jarrett Walker and Assoc. Part 2

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to part two of Paul's interview with Jarrett Walker of Jarret Walker & Associates. In this part of the interview, Paul and Jarrett talk ab...

Jarrett Walker — Jarrett Walker and Assoc. Part 1

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our special kick-off to Season 6 with a special two-part Transit Unplugged News and Views with Jarrett Walker of Jarrett Walker & Asso...

Rich Davey — New York MTA

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a very special episode of Transit Unplugged In-Depth! This episode marks our fifth anniversary, the start of Season 6, and it also hap...

Jennifer DeBruhl — Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With decades of transportation experience in Virginia, Jennifer DeBruhl knows the value of connecting people with reliable transit. From successful ru...

Charles Lattuca — GoTriangle

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) in North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing areas in the U.S. Already at 2 million people, they...

Vernon Everitt — Transport for Greater Manchester

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Greater Manchester is about the size of London with a population of roughly 3 million people. Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manch...

Lisa Walton — SFMTA

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa Walton is the CTO of SFMTA, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (aka Muni), and is responsible for one of the largest and most complex ...

Michelle Bouchard — Caltrain

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stretching from San Francisco to Gilroy (the garlic capital of the U.S.), Caltrain follows the spine of the Bay Area peninsula and straight through Si...

Suhair Al Khatib — Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Suhair Al Khatib knows safety. After years at Baltimore MTA, he's now a Commissioner for Maryland on the Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission and h...

Paul Comfort, Bacarra Mauldin, and Alex Wiggins on Diversity and Inclusion

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest host Julie Gates, award-winning broadcaster and Director of Marketing at Trapeze interviews Paul about his upcoming book Conversations on Eq...

Steve Young — VIA Metropolitan Transit

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've all stood at a stop wondering when the next bus will arrive. And a lot of us have wondered why a bus didn't go where we thought it would&nb...

David Scorey – CEO Keolis North America

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

David Scorey leads Keolis North America working with agencies across the U.S. and Canada. From starting in the trenches in the UK's rail sector to man...

Steve Martingano — Denver RTD Transit Police

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Six years ago Steve Martingano challenged conventions with his innovative policing strategy at Denver RTD by pairing officers with mental health worke...

Monica Backmon — Northern Virginia Transportation Authority

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Monica Backmon, CEO of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, has a unique job in the transit world. Her agency plans and funds transportatio...

April Rai CEO COMTO

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Paul met April Rai, CEO of COMTO (Conference of Minority Transportation Officials) at the recent COMTO conference in Miami. He sat down with April to ...

Henry Li — SacRT

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul talks with a guest we've wanted to get on the show for a long, long time. When Henry Li arrived in Sacramento, the agency needed to res...

Alva Carrasco and Herold Humphrey — Latinos In Transit

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alva Carrasco and Herold Humphrey are on a mission. A mission to increase the visibility, opportunities, and voice of Latinos in public transit. And n...

Matt Tucker North County Transit District

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Tucker, Executive Director and CEO of the North County Transit District covers a huge geographic area north of San Diego. From buses to rail to a...

Wiebe Wakker Sustainable Adventurer from Plug Me In

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul talks with Wiebe Wakker, sustainable adventurer about his three-year trip from the Netherlands to Australia in an EV--with no mone...

Charlotte Shaw Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Charlotte Shaw, CEO of Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, has deep experience in getting things done. From project and program management ...